Thousands of Cal students, staff flock to Caltopia

Students new and old come out in droves for the community-boosting swag-fest that is Caltopia. Find Berkeleyside at booth E104

UC Berkeley freshmen, some looking dazed, others excited, as well as more blasé seniors, turned out in their thousands on Sunday for Day One of Caltopia, the self-described “two greatest days on the planet”.

The event, held at the UC Berkeley Recreational Sports Facility at 2301 Bancroft Way, sees more than 100 exhibitors showcasing their wares and services to the Cal community, including the university’s staff and faculty.

It’s a combination of freebie-fest — with giveaways galore, be it bites of Clif Bars, T-shirts, pens and mouse pads and the chance to win covetable prizes like Kindles from big brand names like Pepsi — and social mixer.

Berkeleyside made its debut at Calopia yesterday and we will be there again today. Find us at booth E104.

Two friendly faces of Berkeleyside at Caltopia yesterday. We are there again today

A second raffle prize comes courtesy of LaVals Pizza and Northside Travel: free pizza for a year, worth over $400. We encourage you to patronize all these great Berkeley businesses and spend your money in the city to boost our local economy. The winners will be announced on Berkeleyside on Wednesday August 24th, one prize for students, one for Cal staff and faculty.